Bainbridge Alpharag ID

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SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
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I wish that Bainbridge would label their Alpharag boards.

With such a beatiful selection of color, and shades of white, it can be a real waste of time trying to figure out which is which.

You label Alphamat - please label Alpharag!

Does Cresent label their rag?
 
The Crescent solid rags are not normally labeled, though at least one distributor I use will write the number <font size=1>really tiny</font> in pencil in one corner.

I think the theory is that they want to keep both sides available to the framer since there is no front or back. In reality, I rarely have applications where I need to show both sides of the mat.

I try to avoid ordering similar rag mats at the same time. When I do, I line up the samples and the boards and play guessing games under good light. The really disturbing thing is that sometimes none of the boards look like any of the samples. :confused:
 
Ron's right about the companies not putting numbers on rag board. When I get my rag boards I write the number in pencil in one corner very lightly. If you use a fairly soft pencil like a # 2 then it will erase cleanly with a polyvinyl eraser such as magic rub. After I've cut the mat, any fallout or leftovers get the number in the corner also.

Nona Powers, CPF, GCF
www.nonapowers.com
 
Good points, but mine is I would like to see the rag mats marked from the factory.

The Alphamats are, and I can't flip those over.

I believe it would only help us save time and aggravation.

Time is money!
 
Since these boards seem to smudge very easily, sometimes just from normal handling, I DO appreciate being able to decide myself which side will be the front (the cleaner side) instead of having to use the "unlabeled" side.

I also feel, when I have two rag boards that are so similer that I can't tell which-is-which, maybe I don't need to stock them both.
 
If you receive YOUR mat boards like I have to, (via UPS) there is no problem numbering them in the upper corner. You will need to trim off about an inch all the way around anyway to get to usable board after UPS gets done dropping them on the edges of loading docks and truck floors!

If you use a soft pencil, it comes right off with an artist's gum or magic rub. It really isn't THAT much of a hassle to number them. I number ALL my boards before I slide them into the storage racks and then I simply pull them out an inch or so to read the numbers as I need them.

Framerguy
 
As a distributor you can't win! We had many requests to number the rags. We would write with #2 pencil on the mats. Then we were blasted for writing on the boards. I assume (and I'll try to find out) that rags aren't numbered from the factory because even soy based inks may bleed or effect the conservation quality of the board. I've got the Crescent regional manager in on Thursday so I'll ask him the question. We did stop marking the rags, less complaints and less aggrevation.

John
 
Good point Framerguy,

I do mark my boards when they come in.

My request is based on the amount of time that it takes to ID them if I have a bunch together, or even a single piece, to make sure that I received the right board.

Secondly - No board is ever square or exact size from the factory, so I start by trimming one side to square it anyway. (A trick I learned from Bill at the Larson School in NJ) I then mark the left-over.
 
I resent having to put the samples aside and waiting to get the order, then trying to figure the diference between antique white and warm white or white and snow white, and try finding the fawn sample when you need it. Any reason Cresent or Bainbridge gives is insufficient, and I want to haul their tail out here to figure it out. Maybe my supplier only stocks 4 differant boards so if you order white or snow white you get the same thing.
 
Most framers don't normally buy direct from Bainbridge, they buy from a distributor one or two boards at a time. The boards are originally packaged, I believe, 5 to a plastic bag to protect the matboard surface and the bags are very well marked. If you want the numbers on the mats themselves, have the distributor write it in pencil when they pull them out of the bags. I personally keep track of it myself and don't want a bunch of printing on the boards. I write the number, as I previously posted with a #2 pencil in the upper right corner so I can see it easily when I look in the bins. I write them even on Alphamats because I need the number in a particular spot. Takes a few seconds as I put the boards away. I don’t think the manufactures are ever going to individually number them because too many framers don’t want them numbered.

Nona Powers, CPF, GCF
www.nonapowers.com
 
I read somewhere that the Library of Congress standards for mat board to not allow writing or printing of any kind on the boards. Of course, the numbers could be cut off....

So, if BB & C want to sell to the Library of Congress -- no printing.

I don't believe Rising or any of the other companies that supply mostly to to conservators use printing on the boards.

A solution -- make up your own specifier with larger than 1" x 1" squares of the colors you use of these types of boards and keep it posted or handy where you check in your matboard.
 
For once, I actually understand lessafinger's point and I agree with it to some extent. Once you get the board into your shop and positively identify it, you can mark it any way you want: pencil or Post-It Note or whatever.

The problem is that when you get a bunch of similar solid rag boards in at one time, it is not an easy job at all to tell which-is-which, even by comparing them with your corner samples. I don't think there's a solution that the manufacturers or distributors can do that will make everyone happy. What I do is seriously try to avoid stocking - or at least ordering at the same time - rag mats that are that similar.
 
Thanks Ron, I think?

Last comment on this subject from me – don’t jump up and down for joy!

So, I guess it appears that the only reason they don’t print the numbers on the reversible rags is they are reversible. In the days when there were few choices and for some of you today, it is no big deal. But, in my opinion, with the ever-growing selection and the fact that 95% of mats today are, the marking of the rest would make my life just a little bit easier.
 
rosetl is correct according to Crescent. The Library of Congress specifys that there can be "no" printing on museum board, even soy inks even thought they are classified as archival. Thanks Vicki at Crescent!
 
Just one more,

I finally got it.

I made the assumption that all that Cresent rags and Alphamats were fully compliant with the Library on Congress's Standards.

I have to read the fine print - or not!

You no what they say about assumptions?

Thanks for clearing this up for me!
 
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